PAT HEALY: Pat looks ahead to Royal Ascot this week with some big race fancies plus his usual round up of the stories making the headlines in the racing world ….
I’m now ensconced in Windsor, where I’m staying for the duration of the Royal meeting.
I’m lucky that I get to stay with friends of mine, Steve and Ann Barry. Steve is a Kerry man and Ann is a Roscomman woman. They had pubs in London for many years before retiring to Windsor. It’s home from home, and I get spoiled by Ann, so it’s always a fantastic trip.
From a work point of view, for our media and business clients, it’s one of our busiest weeks of the year.
The racing is the best racing in the world and I look forward to it every year. Thankfully the Irish are always a strong force there these days, with Aidan O’Brien, Dermot Weld, Jessica Harrington to name a few. There’s always a great spread of Irish trainers that have success at Royal Ascot.
I have my top hat and tails and I dress up for the meeting because if you’re invited to a box, it’s nice to go up and say hello to people. If you don’t have the top hat and tails, there are certain parts of the racecourse that you can’t go to, so it makes more sense.
It doesn’t inhibit me in anyway and I actually enjoy getting dressed up. Everybody that knows me knows that I normally have a pair of waterproof boots and leggings on, so it’s nice to get dressed up.
Hard work pays off for Ascot team
There’s great racing right across the week. Nick Smith and all the team at Ascot have for the last 10 or 20 years really gone out of their way to bring horses from all around the world to Ascot to compete in the major races.
The international flavour of the races is something I’ve noticed coming to Ascot in the last few years. You have the Australians, Hong Kong, the Americans, and runners from France of course. It’s the premier race meeting in the Flat calendar, so it’s the way it should be.
Every year is exciting, and this year’s no different, so you have to take your hat off to the Ascot team and say well done. It’s due reward for all their hard work.
Why suspend jockeys?
At Leopardstown last Thursday Colin Keane got suspended for seven days and of course you had the jockeys over in England getting suspended due to totting up whip offences.
We’ve banged this drum before, but I have to say again, what is the good in banning Kielan Woods for 42 days? What is the point?
I keep coming back to this, but fine jockeys for their penalties rather than banning them. I really think it’s something that should be given a go.
For everyone in life, there’s one way you feel something and that’s through your pocket. Whether you’re buying a shirt, a house, a car, whatever. When you take money out of your pocket, you feel it.
Slap a fine of two grand or five grand on him and then at the end of the season you would have a nice pot of money to give to the Injured Jockeys Fund.
Now Colin Keane could miss the Irish Derby now. It’s something that bugs me, and I don’t think it’s right.
I think it gives racing a bad name in the media when these things are announced. Maybe I’m wrong, but perhaps it’s something they should trial for a year and see what happens.
Kerry GAA through to the quarters
On the GAA front, we had a great day on Sunday with Kerry beating Louth. Cork ended up beating Mayo meaning that Kerry topped the group, which means they’re straight through to the quarter-finals of the Sam Maguire.
We didn’t expect that, but we’re happy to be where we are as it means we get a week’s break now. The Championship has really cranked up, and there’s a round of games next weekend where it’s lose and your out.
It’s an exciting time. We know there will be a stiffer test ahead in the quarter-finals, which will be in ‘the big house’ at Croke Park. As the defending champions of Sam Maguire we’re looking forward to it and fingers crossed. I just hope I have three trips to the big house this season!
Major Ascot races
Tuesday – St James’s Palace
This is the meeting of the Irish and English Guineas winners, which is what the race was designed for.
Chaldean was a great winner at Newmarket and Paddington was a great winner at the Curragh. It’s a tough one to call.
I suppose it’s what racegoers want to see, the sight of Frankie [Dettori] and Ryan [Moore] powering down the straight. My vote would be stick with Paddington to improve from the Curragh and to get the better of Chaldean.
Wednesday – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
Luxembourg is a horse that I think people never really fell in love with for whatever reason.
His performance in the Champions Stakes at Leopardstown last year was brilliant, and then the ground probably went against him in the Arc.
This season he had a prep run at the Curragh, before beating Bay Bridge in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last time. A lot of people were saying that Ryan [Moore] got a soft lead and got his own way there, but that’s his job!
I think Luxembourg is going to take a lot of beating.
Thursday – Ascot Gold Cup
I’m going to go with Roger Varian’s Eldar Eldarov here. He’s last year’s St Leger winner, he has a touch of class and I think this step up in trip won’t do him any harm.
Friday – Coronation Stakes
This is all about Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra for me. She came up short at Newmarket in the 1000 Guineas, but with another couple of weeks rest under her belt she was very impressive at the Curragh. I fancy her to overturn the tables with Mawj.
I think Dermot Weld has wanted her to be a better filly from Royal Ascot on. Dermot said in an Irish Field interview last week that times have changed and, from a Flat trainer’s point of view, it’s all about the back end of the season these days. I’d say Dermot has big plans ahead for Tahirya, including a trip to the Breeders’ Cup in California in November.
Saturday – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
It would be fascinating if Highfield Princess rocked up here after winning the King’s Stand on Tuesday. Hats off to connections, and if she does you couldn’t wish for another winner.
She’s been a great story for John Quinn and her connections. We all know where she came from and where she’s got to.
If she could do the double, what a fantastic story it would be for racing.
Until next week.
PAT
